Ages of the World
The Ages of the World are distinct time periods which together make up the entirety of Ura's history. The current Age is the Age of Angels (EC). Ages of the World Age of Chaos The Age of Chaos came first, and lasted the longest - no one knows how long exactly, but the estimates of both Iphazian and Taktran mathematicians suggest it could number into the tens of billions of years. After the universe sprang forth from the Primordial Chaos, it was initially disordered and intangible like the existence that preceded it. Slowly at first, but occurring at an exponential rate, it began to stablise, culminating in a critical point and an explosion of matter and energy that marked the beginning of the Age of Fire. Though it is rarely used, the Age is referenced by the initials EK, standing for 'Epokan Kaosu' meaning 'Reign of Chaos' in Old Iphazic. Age of Fire The Age of Fire began with a catalclysmic explosion, caused when the disordered debris of the Primordial Chaos reached a critical point in its rearrangement. It is believed by theologians that it was at this point that the early gods came into being, specifically Oron and Phakron. Both wanted to elevate the semi-ordered young universe into a perfect state - which would later become known as the Far Beyond. Oron decided to create Ura, and in order to do so, he first created Azanzor the crafter to make his vision a reality. When the world was made, Oron and Phakron imbued it with life. This moment, called the Soul Sending, marks the commencement of the Age of Darkness. It is also the point that Azuras and Narkora came into being. The Age of Fire is believed to have lasted for approximately half a million years. The Age is referenced by the initials ES, standing for 'Epokan Sygollu' meaning 'Reign of the Forge' in Old Iphazic. Age of Darkness After the Soul Sending, Narkora and Azuras were appointed the task of maintaining the world. Despite sounding ominous, the Age of Darkness was in fact the most harmonious Age - for at this time only non-intelligent life populated the dark planet, sustained enitrely by divine magic, with all the world's souls cycling indefinitely through the many lesser life forms. Oron spent this time designing his masterpiece, the elves. He also created Gera, goddess of community, in aniticipation of the dawn of the first civilization. At the same time, Azanzor made the Collossi - a race of enormous constructors to whom he delegated building tasks - and set them to work on Cormanon, the first city and intended home for the elves. The Age of Darkness is believed to have lasted for approximately a hundred thousand years. The Age is referenced by the initials EN, standing for 'Epokan Narkral' meaning 'Reign of the Dark' in Old Iphazic. Age of the Moon The Age of the Moon began with the life-giving of the first elves, or Primal Elves, these were the ancestors of the Sun Elves and Moon Elves, and thus the Sulvar and elfkin races the Molazi, Solixi and Phrenim. The elves inhabited the divine city of Cormanon, where for a long time they lived a content, utopian existence in the eternal lunar twilight provided by Narkora. Throughout this time, Oron and the other gods began creating angels. Initially, two angels were created to serve each deity directly, but soon countless other minor angels were made as the progress of the elves demanded increasingly more intensive maintenance. The Age of the Moon also saw the elevation of the god Calvonis, as per Gera's request to Oron. Gera reasoned that rather than trying to stamp out the hedonist trends in elven society, it would be better to be overseen by a god that understood the baser needs of mortals. Calvonis was an elven prince, who Gera selected for the role following his premature death in EL 3110. The Primal Elves inherited some the gods' creative abilties, and deep inside the heart of Cormanon, their powerful mystics created the Cormanids, a race of servants and ancestors to the Cobali and Narkori. The Cormanids served the elves loyally throughout the Age. The Age of the Moon lasted for 16,807 years. The Age is denoted by the initials EL, standing for 'Epokan Lunaron' meaning 'Reign of the Moon' in Old Iphazic. Age of the Sun The Age of the Sun began with the Ascension of Oron, whereby Oron merged with the Far Beyond and in so doing rendered the mortal realm sulf-sustaining. Until this point, only the direct will of the gods kept all existence from being reabsorbed into the Primordial Chaos - or as the Tubian philosopher Kavokat put it in EV 2403, "the ascension... Ura was a dream; infinitely beautiful with infinite possibilities... yet as a dream, fragile, shatterable, answerable to the whim of waking." The ascension created the Sun, day and night, the seasons, and all the other cycles. Where once the elves had lived purely by the grace of the gods, now they were given the skills to master Ura directly - so were born the Sun Elves and the first Druids. However, the ascension caused discontent among both elves and angels. Many elves saw the ascension as an abandonment by Oron, and splintered away from others of their kin. These became the Moon Elves, desiring a return to the Age of the Moon. Oron's favourite angels were granted additional powers and duties by Oron prior to his anscension - such as Iryzel and Iphazia as protectors of mortals - but this left others jealous and resentful. These disillusioned angels became Fallen Angels, their goal a new reckoning by which the powers of the divine could be divided differently. As such, the Age of the Sun was marked by ruthless wars between Sun and Moon Elves, angels and fallen angels. Also to occur during this Age was the emergence of humans and dwarves as elf descendents. In the early part of the Age, many elves abstained from the wars and departed into the lands to the south - this is known as the First Elven Migration. They quickly lost their powers, and fragmented across the forests and deserts. Eventually, some settled near Mount Arosan developed into the prosperous civilization of the Dagundra, by building strongholds underground. The humans that travelled the farthest would emerge into the greatest civilization, the Tubian Empire, some time later. The Age of the Sun lasted for 16,807 years. The Age is denoted by the initials EO, standing for 'Epokan Oronsulvad' meaning 'Reign of the Oron the Sunmaker' in Old Iphazic. Age of Blood The Age of Blood begins with the Second Elven Migration - a contingent of Sun Elves attempt to reconnect with the lost peoples of the First Migration. By this time, the Sun Elves have effectively won the wars with the Moon Elves, who are all but destroyed. Historians generally refer to the Sun Elves as the 'Sulvar' from this point (which means 'Sun Elf' in the Celestial tongue). But despite their victory, the Sulvar prophesise a major reckoning similar to that which the Fallen Angels had sought for - and the splintering of their race by the First Migration is attributed as weakness. The Sulvar believe that only by reuniting with their lost brothers of the last Age will they finally enjoy the golden age they have fought for all these millenia. The Sulvar identify the fledgling Tubian Empire as the most successful product of the First Migration, and begin a process of hurrying them toward enlightenment; advancing their society enormously in only a few generations - a process that might have taken thousands of years if at all otherwise. By EV 200, the Tubian Empire encompasses most of the Tubian Continent with temples as far north as the Strait of Azuras and as far south as the distant Crystal Sea. Meanwhile, the primative human tribes of what would later be known as the Angel Plains suffer from repeated harrassment by a new threat, the Nylor. When the Second Migration elves learn of the growth of the Nylor they forsee the beginnings of the apocalypse their people have feared, and many regard their mission as a failure. Molazus is chief amongst those who think the mission should be abandoned, and the return journey to Sulvedin should be undertaken. Solixus believes they should remain with the humans. So the group devides. When Molazus' contigent arrives at Sulvedin they are turned away - the native Sulvar have decided that only the pursuit of purity, namely, to be as Primal Elves - will save them. The mixed human-elf blood of Molazus' elves is not welcome. Molazus then founds Molaza and the Molazi race is born. Solixus meanwhile establishes the Solixi race as friends of mankind - as such the Solixi bloodline merges more closely with humans than the Molazi ever did. The Age of Blood lasted for 2555 years. The Age is denoted by the initials EV, standing for 'Epokan Vask' meaning 'Reign of Sacrifice' in Old Iphazic. Age of Angels The Age of Angels is the current Age of the World. It began in EV 2555 following the Battle of Two Tribes, which established Oza as the first paladin and King of Iphazia. The correct notation for the Age of Angels is EC, standing for 'Epokan Celesu', an Old Iphazic term meaning 'Reign of the Celestials'. Category:Religion Category:History